Despite a brief uptick in rainfall across parts of the continent, Africa’s water crisis is worsening, driven by rising temperatures, erratic precipitation, and the continued use of fossil fuels.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), surface temperatures across Africa are projected to rise by up to 4°C by 2050, with Southern Africa already experiencing the steepest increases. This warming trend is disrupting rainfall patterns, drying out major river basins like the Zambezi, and threatening ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods.

“We had a very beautiful forest, very beautiful wetlands, but because of several pressures, these areas were all degraded,” said Robert Atugonza, a sugarcane farmer who has witnessed the transformation of Uganda’s wetlands over decades.

The Sahel region has seen a temporary increase in rainfall, but Central and Southern Africa are facing prolonged droughts and declining river flows. These shifts are already triggering severe ecological, economic, and humanitarian consequences, including food insecurity and displacement.

Sea levels along Africa’s coasts have risen by 20 cm since 1900, with projections of an additional 35–50 cm rise by 2050, threatening low-lying communities and coastal infrastructure.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized that the climate emergency is also a human rights crisis: “Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, health, and a clean, sustainable environment”.

Extreme weather events—heatwaves, floods, and droughts—have doubled or tripled in frequency since 1990, and are expected to intensify further. Scientists, including Friederike Otto of Imperial College London, warn that only a rapid and complete transition away from fossil fuels can prevent catastrophic outcomes.

The African Development Bank has called for urgent investment in climate-resilient water infrastructure, including solar-powered irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and ecosystem restoration, to protect communities and ensure long-term water security.

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